As trustee for certain purposes



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

JOEL A. H. ELLIS, 0F SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO JOEL WOODBURY, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, AS TRUSTEE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.

FORM OR MOLD IN WHICH WOODEN SLATS, &C., ARE MADE INTO BASKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,953, dated March 31, 1857.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOEL A. H. ELLIS, of Springiield, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful or Improved Mold or Mechanism to be Used in the Construction 0f splint Baskets; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specication and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l denotes an external side elevation of said basket mold. Fig. 2, a top view of it. Fig. 3, a vertical and transverse section of it. Fig. 4, a horizontal section taken so as to exhibit the catch and turn butt-ons to be hereinafter described. Fig. 5, is a side view of the basket to be made by `such a mold. Fig. 6, a vertical section of said basket. Fig. 7, a horizontal section of it. Fig. 8, a top view of it.

The said basket is constructed of two bottomboards, B, B a series of thin splints or staves A, A, A, two hoops R, R, and a series of staple connections, IV, W, arranged `and applied together as shown in Figs. 5, 6,

7, and 8. The two bottom boards B, B, are arranged so that the grain of one shall cross that of the other, the staves or splints being respectively inserted between the bot tom boards and confined to them by nails driven through the said boards and each stave, and clenched down upon one of the boards. The staves are confined together, at their upper ends and to the hoops by nails driven through the hoops and staves; and besides this the staves are secured together by means of the staple connections, each of which consists cfa staple having its two legs extended through two adjacent staves, said staple being long enough to allow its legs to pass through the splints at or near their outer edges. In this way, each staple laps by two adjacent staples and serves to bind together the fibers of the splints and prevents them from being torn asunder by the strain of a load when in the basket. The staples, after having been inserted through the staveslare to be clenched on their inner ends.

Having thus explained the nature and construction of the peculiar basket to be made by the mold, which constitutes the subject of my invention, I now proceed to describe the mold for manufacturing said basket.

In Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, A.,.is a wooden former or block, shaped as shown in the drawings, it being constructed with a flange B, and having a hoop or band C, extending around and above it, or an annular shoulder or recess made in said flange as shown in the drawings. Besides the hoop or band C, a metallic spurpor post E, is afxed to the flange or the hoop and formed and made to extend above the latter as shown in Fig. 3. The said mold above the flanch, B, is constructed with an annular recess, K, extending entirely around it. In this recess and on its bottom are placed three or any other suitable number of dogs or catches, F, F, each at its rear end being connected to the block A, by a hinge joint as shown at H. A twin button, 7L, is affixed to the block, and so that after a catch, F, has been turned down into a horizontal position, itmay be confined there by the turn button such catches being provided with an `oblong aperture or slot, g, so made as to allow the button to pass up through it during the downward movement of the catch. The lower part of the block A is furnished with a cylindrical journal or gudgeon L, which when the block is in use, is intended to extend into a corresponding hole in the bench on which the block may rest, the gudgeon permitting the block to be put in rotation by the workman as occasion may require.

In the upper end of the block A is a sunken recess, m, made of suitable size, shape and depth to receive the inner board of the basket bottom and to enable the surface to be even with the top of the recess, the lower surface of said recess, m, being protected by a steel or metallic bottom, n, which when the nails by which the splints and bottom boards are conned together are driven, serves the purpose of clenching said nails. O, is a clamp plate made of metal similar in external form to the bottom of the basket although smaller in diameter. A screw bolt, P, extends up through the middle of the block, A, and the clamp plate, O, and has a lever clamp nut, T, on its upper end, the object of the clamp plate, O, the screw bolt and clamp nut being to hold the bottom pieces lof the basket in place, while the basket is being set up. Besides the above, I usually employ in connection with the mold a metallic hoop, S

In operating with the above mentioned machine, the strip of which the inner hoop.

of the basket rim is to be made is to be taken by the workman and have one of its ends placed by him against the rear side of the lower groove or space of the block,

and so as to be concentric with the flange, C, p

yupper edge of the hoop and holding the same down in the recess of the flange B,

when the button it, of the latch or catch is twined around so as to prevent the catch from rising upward. Next, the hoop is to be bent horizontally around the frame A Y and the several catches twined and fastened down upon it, the two ends of the hoop being caused to lap by one another, and be beveled or scarfed together. The two pieces of which the bottom of the basket is to be formed, having had holes bored through their centers respectively and of sufiicient size to receive the bolt, P, are next slipped on the bolt at its upper end and down to their places, the lower piece fitting into the recess, m, while the upper one should be kept a short distance above the lower by one or more pieces of wood placed between them and being of a thickness equal to one of the splints. The lever nut is next screwed down so as to confine the bottom pieces in place.

Next, the several splints are to be taken and each at its narrower end should be inserted between the two bottoni boards, the body of each splint subsequently being bent down against the mold until the opposite or lower end of said splint may reach the flange B, and lay against the front of the recess, or the hoop previously placed in said recess.

After all the splints have been applied to the form, A, the strip of wood to const-itute the outer hoop is to have one end placed inside of and against the spur E. This spur holds the end of the hoop in place during the operation of bending the hoop around the splints and crowding it into the annular recess of the ange B, such operation being next performed and the ends of the hoops spliced together, the flange, C, holding the hoop in place. The external 'holding hoop, S, is next to be driven on over the outside of the basket-so as to force all the splints firmly together and against the mold. Annealed nails are next to be driven through the bottom pieces and the splints so as to confine them together. They should also be driven through the `lower hoops and the splints and may be clenched by being driven against the rear surface of the annular recess of the fiange B, which for the purpose of causing the nail to clench may be formed of metal. After all this has been accomplished, the basket may be removed from the mold and finished by having its staple connections and handles applied as thereinbefore described.

I claim- The basket mold, constructed substantially as described, viz, of a block or former, A, made with annular and top recesses, and provided with a shoulder ring, C, hoop catches, F, F, and bottonrclamping plate and screws or equivalents therefor, the whole being used in manner and for the purpose as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature.

JOEL A. H. ELLIS. Witnesses:

WM. H. ALLHU, JOHN WARD. 

